The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey

I thought we was going night fishing for some catfish, Coydog.

We is, boy.

I gotta say hi to my girlfriend first.

Which one? Miss Charlotte or Miss Ruby?

Miss Mary.

Well, why we got to say hi to her before we go fishing?

Well, I promised I would help her pay her rent.

Come on, boy.

Hey, hey!

You know what the preacher say about sin?

Yeah.

Well, this is it!

Hey, Coydog!

Hey!

-It's been a while. -Yeah.

I've been doing some logging up in Van Cleve

while my still leaks its bourbon.

Isn't he a little young to be in here at night, Mr. McCann?

No, I'm seven years old. Big boy.

Is that so?

I took him for a couple of days

'cause his mama had to go to New Orleans to look after her father.

And who you here to see?

Miss Mary, to help her pay her rent.

Miss Mary!

Yes, Miss Delia.

Mr. McCann here to "help you pay your rent."

I'm coming.

You wanna go take a bath, big boy?

-Yes, ma'am. -Come with me.

-You mind Miss Delia now, boy. -All right.

Yeah.

Good time tonight!

-Matrice. -Yes, Miss D.

Could you please bring a couple of buckets of hot water for the tub?

But nobody taking a bath until late.

It's for our royal highness.

Come on. Let's get you ready.

Is the water hot enough for you, big boy?

How come you got your bathtub out in the big room?

Well, it used to be upstairs, but then Miss Loretta moved in,

and there wasn't room up there no more.

Anyways, down here is closer to the hot water.

Okay.

You are just the sweetest child.

I wanna take you home with me.

Okay.

Every time. Motherfucker. Every time.

Come on, now. Somebody gotta lose.

Goddamn cheaters!

Come here, motherfucker!

Stop that! Break those men up! There ain't no fightin' in here!

You're mine, son of a bitch! You gonna cheat again?

-Don't you hurt him! That's my man! -I'll fucking kill you!

Come here, baby.

Hey, Pitypapa.

You in there?

Come on in.

You fixing to shoot me?

No, no, no, I--

I took this here out for myself.

Look at you.

So, you been out with your new friend?

Yes.

Then why not shoot myself, huh?

I mean, you all I ever had, and now that's over.

So, you set on dying?

I can't think of nothing else to do.

Why you got to do anything?

Because you the onliest woman I ever loved.

And I came home, didn't I?

You can't lose me.

You gonna always be my only man.

But if you wanna die, then let me shoot you myself.

'Cause right after that, I'll put the bullet in my own heart.

No. No.

Uncle, wh-- Why--

What-- What you-- What you doing up so late?

Unwin Lomax.

Who?

Unwin Lomax beat down Arthur Meany,

and Miss Molly stabbed him and killed him.

A nightmare?

Didn't start out that way.

I was in the tub.

Miss Matrice was heating up the bathwater.

The hot water was taking off the chill.

And everybody was laughing and smiling and…

I don't think I ever felt safer.

But, as usual, it ain't last.

I'm sorry I'm so late.

But when I called you earlier, you said everything was okay.

It is.

This whiskey here just to help me get back to sleep.

You could've stayed over at Roger's if you wanted to.

No, I should've been here. I shouldn't have left you alone.

And I'm sorry.

No need for sorrow.

Nothing wrong with being young and in love.

In love?

I see how that boy look at you.

Me and Roger barely know each other.

4:30 in the morning say different.

No, we was just--

Whatever. We was hanging.

He good to you?

Yes.

Well, you willing, he able.

I am pleading the fifth on that one.

Well, one of these days, you'll look back on this,

and you'll see different.

Well, I'm old enough to know what love is, so…

Really? And who taught you that?

You.

I-I love you, Ptolemy. I do.

And I bet that if I was 20 years older,

and you were 50 years younger,

I could-- I could see us being together, you and me.

You ever-- You ever felt like that about somebody?

My first little girlfriend, Maude, I guess.

Yeah. And you know how I feel about Sensia.

Yeah.

But you--

You the--

You the first woman that ever loved me.

Loved me un-- un--

Unconditional?

Yeah, that. Unconditional.

Yeah.

And that's the kind of love I-- I hope I remember when I slip back.

Okay, but you-- you need to be running toward your future,

grabbing hold of whatever's out there in the world for you.

It's good to be young.

And something to be said for being old too.

Oh, yeah? What's so good about it, old man?

Well, old folk know where shit come from and why it's there.

And what else?

Old folks ain't scared of life, 'cause they got one foot in the grave.

Look here. You need to get some sleep. We got a big day tomorrow.

I got some new folks I want you to meet and learn some old tricks.

-Want a little drink before you go in? -No.

You know you should not be drinking that much.

You know you can't save me neither.

Yeah, but it don't mean I can't try.

Good night.

Good night. Sleep tight.

Don't let the bed bugs bite.

They do, they gonna get drunk.

-Who the fuck is this? -This Ptolemy Grey for Nina.

You know what fucking time it is?

I'm-- I'm-- I'm sorry about that,

but I-I got something important I want to say to her.

-Hello? -Papa Grey?

Yeah, that's me.

It's Nina. Nina Lloyd.

How you get my number so fast?

It's on my phone.

What? Yo-- Your phone know who call you?

All phones do.

What? They do?

Listen, I'm sorry about Alfred. He gets protective of people calling me.

That's your boyfriend?

No, not at all. Just--

Just a friend of the family, you know, helping out.

Did Niecie call you, tell you about the eulogy I'm having for Reggie?

She did, but-- Listen, I don't think I can come.

It's still hard, you know?

Yeah, I know. Like a-- Like a wound won't heal.

Yeah.

Well, listen, the repast start at three o'clock.

If-- If you can meet me at 2:00,

I-- I promise I won't take up much of your time.

I just wanna give you some money.

I don't understand. What-- What money?

The money I was saving for Reggie, your husband.

It's enough to take care of you and the kids for a couple months.

-Two o'clock, you say? -Yeah. Two o'clock.

I knew I'd catch you out here reading a book.

-Good morning. -Good morning.

Can you get us a bus schedule?

No, I-I-I asked could you get us a bus schedule.

Yeah, that's what I'm doing, Uncle.

You finna call the bus company?

No. I'ma download it.

-Say what? -Download.

Like, the Internet. Ever heard of it?

Yeah, I done heard of it, but I ain't never used it.

Okay, let me show you. Where you going?

-We're gonna go to Buckhead. -Okay.

That's it, right there. Number 44.

Look just like it used to look.

Now we gotta hope he still in here.

-All right. Well, come on. -I'm coming. I'm coming.

Excuse me. You need the exercise.

All the way up there?

You can do it.

Shit.

Come on.

Look at you.

-Child. -You did it.